We're number one: Manipulating perceived market rankings to induce a placebo effect in credibility evaluations of a local newscast

Abstract

Because newscasts have evolved into a lucrative profit center for many local television stations, broadcasters desperately seek ways to boost the perceived credibility of their news brands. Audience perceptions, however, are sometimes vulnerable to forces that have little connection to objective reality. In particular, there is growing evidence that expected outcomes can circumvent critical thinking and alter audience evaluations of program content. In this controlled experiment, a type of placebo effect was revealed whereby audiences that were told that a particular newscast was ranked “number one” gave the program better overall credibility evaluations than equivalent test audiences who were told that the identical program was ranked last in its market. Implications for the management and marketing of television news are discussed.

Notes

Walter S. McDowell (Ph. D., University of Florida) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124 ([email protected]). Prior to teaching he spent over two decades in television broadcasting, including a dozen years as Director of Marketing and Creative Services for ABC affiliate WFTV, Orlando. Dr. McDowell is the author of Branding TV: Principles and Practices (with Alan Batten) and Troubleshooting Audience Research, published by the National Association of Broadcasters.

Steven J. Dick (Ph. D., Michigan State University) is an Assistant Professor of Radio‐Television at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901 ([email protected]). His research interests include media technology, management, and adoption.